Wednesday, 23 January 2019

Time for Positivi-Tea! Can a Good Cuppa Really Solve Anything?

(Review - Gifted)
There's nothing quite like a good cup of tea! It's our nation's favourite drink, with the average Brit drinking 3 to 4 cups a day! But can a good brew really solve anything? Well, of course boiling the kettle isn't going to end world hunger or find a cure for disease, but on a day-to-day basis, so many of us seek solace in a cuppa.

There are so many varieties of tea available now, there seems to be a tea to compliment every mood and ailment! Do you seek comfort in a cup of traditional English breakfast, or relaxation with a cup of chamomile and lavender? Perhaps you prefer the soothing benefits of a cup of peppermint or ginger tea, or the rejuvenating qualities of a cup of green?

There's even a tea to help you get ready for labour - although I'm not sure it did much for me other than send me on more toilet trips than I care to remember! As if my bladder didn't already have enough to cope with!

Shibui Tea

Edinburgh born tea company Shibui Tea's philosophy is all about sourcing and sharing great quality tea. The company was even set up over a few pots of the good stuff! They specialise in seeking out great ingredients from all over the world, and combining them to create many distinct flavours of loose tea and pyramid tea bags.

Environmental Benefits

I was fortunate enough to receive a sample of their pyramid bags to taste test recently. What I love about them particularly is how environmentally friendly they are. So many tea bags still contain plastics and therefore cannot be fully composted. However, Shibui Tea prides themselves on the fact that their pyramid tea bags are completely recyclable and can be put in with your food waste.

The samples I received from Shibui Tea

The ingredients are all natural, and the bag itself is made from a corn-derived product. The tag and string will also biodegrade so there's no faffing about removing them before discarding the bag. Even the small details, such as the "plastic" bags the tea comes wrapped in, is made from something called Natureflex and can also be chucked on to the compost heap! Great hey?

Taste Test!

So what about the taste? Well, I have tried a lot of tea in my time and on my travels - some great and some not so good! Black tea (a splash of milk and no sugar please!) is my all time favourite and the English Breakfast pyramid bag certainly lived up to my taste expectations! Even after the recommended brewing time of 3-4 minutes, there was no bitter after taste and the tea didn't end up being too strong. It was flavoursome, refreshing and comforting, so a winner for me!

I made a promise to myself that I would cut down on my caffeine intake this year, so the Chocolate and Ginger flavour was next on my list. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of ginger in drinks but it's great for your digestive system and even has anti-inflammatory properties. This herbal infusion of ginger, cocoa husk and liquorice root was not overpowering in any one flavour. The taste was subtle, and ended with that familiar warmth that ginger gives. The aroma that filled my living room added to the enjoyment!

Much has been written about the benefits of green teas, they are full of antioxidants and studies have shown they can be helpful in the fight against heart disease. Shibui Tea's Matcha and Sencha Organic tea bags combine Japanese green tea leaves with specially ground green tea powder, winning them a Great Taste Award in 2018. This green tea infusion was subtle, fragrant and earthy. It had a delicate, sweet taste to it which I enjoyed.

Some of the blends I have sampled

I am yet to work my way through the other samples that Shibui Tea sent, but keep an eye on our Instagram account where I will let you know what I thought about each one! I'm intrigued about the Rooibos and Orange Organic flavour, which is also caffeine free so I might try that one tonight! You can find the complete list of flavours and prices over on their website, along with gift ideas, teaware and accessories.

Can A Good Cuppa Really Solve Anything?

Many of my best or most heartfelt conversations have been over a cuppa. I meet up with friends for a brew (and of course, cake often factors in there too!) and we can put the world to rights whilst sipping the hours away! I've made some great memories over tea - I even broke the news of my first pregnancy to my best friends over a pot or 3 (caffeine free of course...)!

Tea for me is a comfort, a social pleasure and a way to calm down and unwind after a busy day. It's like a warm hug that soothes the soul, especially on a cold winter's day. And sometimes it's just breakfast on the run! But what is tea to you? Why do we go mad for a cuppa? I asked some fellow bloggers for their thoughts. So, pop the kettle on, sit back with your favourite brew and read on: Can a good cup of tea really solve anything?

The Meaning of Tea

Drinking tea means so many things for so many people. Cat, whose husband helped her perfect her tea making after a few disastrous brews, says,

"I love the comfort and welcome of tea. Pop in my house, the first question is often, 'Do you want a cuppa?'"

"Tea is one thing that's certain in life! It's one of those calming drinks that gives you a big hug or pat on the back. Always good to hear the words, 'I'll stick the kettle on.' Tea drinking is such a worldwide bonding tradition. Whatever the weather, situation, and whoever's there... Tea will always be there for you!"

Do you agree? What does tea mean to you?

The Benefits of Tea

So much has been written over the years about the health and social benefits of drinking tea. With many herbal and fruit teas being caffeine free and more readily available, lots of people are making the switch. These bloggers explain why they enjoy a cup of herbal over the traditional black teas. Jo says,

"I’m a coffee drinker usually. But when I am trying to be good, a large mug of red bush tea with just a tiny splash of milk is the perfect way to massively increase my water intake."

It's the specific benefits associated with certain herbs that is a positive for Kate.

"I am reliant on chamomile tea now to get to sleep, as soon as I have a cup of it I am drifting off...after being up all night with babies for years my body had ironically forgotten how to get to sleep! Chamomile works like a magic potion now for me!"

Have you made the switch to herbal or fruit infusions? What do you drink and why? I'd love to know!

The Generation Game

One thing I love about tea, is how it brings generations together and reminds you of such happy family times. Both the following bloggers describe the comfort their first 'post-baby birth' tea brought them. Erin remembers,

"how lovely and comforting that first cup of tea was that the nurse brought me after a long labour that resulted in a C-section and birth of Lily."

Emma recalls how even though pregnancy turned her off tea, as soon as her boys were delivered,

"that would disappear and honestly that first cup of tea in the delivery suite with my baby in my arms was THE best!"

My son asked for a cuppa after school! (Don't worry, it was decaf!)

Who else can't wait for their children to be able to put the kettle on and brew up? Ian's top tip for teaching his children how to make the perfect cuppa is to tell them to,

"pour the water and go and do something else. When you remember, go back and take the teabag out and it will be ready. The result, a perfect cuppa every time!"

I have such fond memories of drinking tea with my late Nan. Drinking tea with her was so comforting, it seemed to make everything okay again! Kelly-Anne agrees. She explains,

"For me tea is life. There isn’t a day where I don’t have a nice cup of strong tea... Tea literally helps solves all problems. My love of tea comes from sitting down with my Nan with a cuppa in her special daffodil cup, to talk about her growing up. It was her favourite pastime. I’d give anything to have one of the cuppas and chats now."

Is there someone special in your family that you love to drink tea with? Or are you also helping to build the next tea drinking generation?

Memories are Made of Tea

"I had a Chinese tea ceremony the night before my wedding. It was a lovely nod to the culture I feel part of but so far away from. It was a great way to spend time with the family too before the whirl of the wedding day."

For Louise, its memories of friendship that a good cup of tea reminds her of.

"Tea reminds me totally of my best friend's house. I was at boarding school and she lived nearby so I would go to her house a lot and we would sit drinking tea together. I would feel so at home when I often felt quite displaced and lonely. She is still my best friend now and tea is still a huge part of our getting together ritual."

Rebecca isn't really a tea fan, unless she needs a pick me up, as she explains,

"I don't like tea. I would never choose to make myself a cup of tea. Unless I'm ill. And then I need a cup of milky sugary tea, preferably made by my mum, like she used to when I was younger. A cup of milky sugary tea works when I'm feeling ill or sad, but only if someone else makes it for me."

And what about those of you who don't drink any tea at all? Lauren has a final thought on that!

"If I meet someone who doesn’t drink tea, I always feel a bit uneasy about them! What do you do when you get home?! Where do you dunk your biscuits?! Are you even human...??"

On that note...I'm off to boil the kettle once more! Enjoy solving problems and making memories with a good old cup of tea. It really does seem to make everything just that little bit better!

Leave me your tea stories in the comments below, I'd love to hear about them! If you enjoyed our post, why not follow us on:

Finding joy in the little things: As a mother and a teacher, I rarely get to sit and savour a cup of tea - particularly a hot one! So sitting still with an uninterrupted hot cuppa is truly appreciated by me as it doesn't happen very often! It really is one of the little things in life that brings me joy!

I'm very fussy with drinking tea and prefer my own to anyone else's - but not in a snobby way I promise! But I don't drink a lot of it but feel so much better once I have one! I'm going to try and drink more tea at home I think - work is my downfall! #KCACOLS

Oooooh I do love a good cup of tea! It really is comforting and although it can't solve all your problems it can definitely help - especially if combined with a chat with a good friend/family member! #KCACOLS

Whilst I'm not a fan of normal tea, I do like a good herbal and am currently loving the peppermint & liquorice from TeaPigs. I think a good hot drink can help to centre you, as you have to stop to drink it. #TwinklyTuesday

My earliest memory of tea was not good. We lived in a house with our Italian relatives and when there was tea it didn't have milk or honey or sugar in it and was not accompanied by pastry, which as a kid would have made all the difference. Us kids, however, were sucking down the coffee (and sometimes wine which was made in the basement) like Hawaiian Punch. Over the years I grew to love tea which may have something to do with more time spent with the Irish half of the family and I agree totally, when sipping tea it's time to converse and be happy. My sister got me a happy new teapot for Christmas which I'm going to put on the boil right now.

No problem! I also have such lovely memories of sharing tea with my Nan, Hers was so milky and sweet, I totally blame her for my sweet tooth! And of course, Nan's tea always came with a biscuit or home made cake! Thanks for sharing your tea memory. :)

Tea may not be able to solve all of your problems but the right blend can certainly have health benefits, help you to relax and sharing a cuppa with a friend can halve your problems, so I'm all for it x #TwinklyTuesday

I think whatever your 'cuppa' may be filled with, can solve anything -- as long as you take the time to be pensive, joyful and grateful. A touch of reason and good sense helps too. My cuppa is usually coffee, but I am doing more tea in the afternoons these days. xoxo #KCACOLS xoxo

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